


Rain

by roobarrtrashmouth



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Language, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 10:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15683493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roobarrtrashmouth/pseuds/roobarrtrashmouth
Summary: Richie hates the rain, until one fateful afternoon when he gets some help to change his mind.





	Rain

A dreary winter had led into an ugly Spring, that rolled into a blazing hot, humid summer. They would be “celebrating” Pennywise’s 3 year deadaversary at the end of this summer. But Richie was having none of it. He was in Eddie’s room, as usual, and the two of them laid there listening to Richie’s most recent mix tape and reading the latest X-men and X-Factor comics. Thankfully Sonia was out shopping and would be gone most of the day. Eddie had convinced her to let him stay behind. She obviously didn’t know Richie was there. 

Richie stands at the window staring out at the sky, “Are you fucking serious. Again today? Shit I’m tired of this fucking rain.”

Eddie gunts disgustedly, “‘You mean you would rather have that humid hot shit like last week? Thank you no. I can’t tell you how many showers I took.”

Without missing a beat Richie cuts in, “9. I counted.”

“Wow Rich, I don’t know if I should be disturbed, honored, or impressed. You really counted the number of showers I took?” Eddie looks at Richie with a mixture of awe and concern. 

It was 1991, sophomore year was ahead for the Losers and Richie and Eddie had been avoiding a worrying subject, dating. Since the Losers had killed Pennywise pairings had been taking place amongst the other Losers. Right off the bat Bev and Bill flirted hard but it just didn’t feel right. Then Bev realized that Ben was”the one” for her. Elfrida and Bev were making a go of it on their own, ever since Alvin’s death. It was hard to be sure, but Alvin’s insurance and pension helped. Elfrida knew Bev needed the stability of staying in the same town, school, and keeping the same friends. She also knew of Bev’s relationship with the Hanscomb boy and approved. He was just what she needed.

After licking his wounds and honestly congratulating Bev and Ben, Bill flew solo for a while. Then after winter break of their freshman year Eddie introduced him to a friend who was moving to the area, Audra. They hit it off instantly. Wisely no one said how much Audra and Bev looked alike. Being the supportive family they were, they just took it in and moved on. 

The surprise to everyone had been earlier this summer when Stan and Mike had begun to spend more time with each other, than with the other Losers. Then one day the two of them showed up to the quarry for the usual Saturday night swim/campfire, holding each other’s hand. Stan simply said, “What, like any of you didn’t think I would end up with Mikey. He was there when I needed him the most.”

That leads to Richie’s shitty mood. He knew that his voices and attitude covered up a very severe case of insecurity. He was self-aware after all. He was just constantly surprised the Losers still wanted to associate with him. He knew he could be an annoying ass, but beyond the beeping nothing really came of it, he was basically harmless. More bark and bite. The Losers loved him, he just couldn’t believe it, and that their patience would last. 

But whenever he was just feeling like shit, there was Eddie to cheer him up, or more frequently just lending an ear and quietly listening to him. Eddie was the only Loser Richie really opened up to. He had cried on Eddie more than once and vice versa. Richie’s stable and loving home life was countered by just how bad Eddie’s was. Eddie had spent many a night at the Tozier’s to get away from Sonia’s crushing brand of love. Also Richie was harboring a secret he couldn’t share with Eddie or anyone. How do you tell your best friend that you love them? How do you tell the guy that you’ve confessed your darkest fears to that you find his lips kissable. That when he gets mad, you find it adorable in a Tasmanian devil kind of way. How do you fuck that up?

“God dammit Eds we haven’t been to the quarry or Barrens in 2 weeks. We haven’t seen the other Losers in 3. What if they’ve finally had it with me?” Richie says with panic creeping into his voice.

Eddie gets up from the bed and puts an arm around Richie, “Rich, we talked to them earlier by phone. No one has had it with you, well except for maybe Stanley. He may give you shit, but he loves you as much as the rest of us.” He says patting Richie’s shoulder. “Now come on stop. Come tell me exactly why Jean and Scott’s son, Nate, is destined for great things.”

Richie turns and looks at Eddie, smiles and thinks to himself, “stopstopstopstop you are letting your imagination get away from you, they won’t leave. Wait is Eds looking at me differently?”

Eddie was also hiding the same secret, but for entirely different reasons. While Richie’s was due to insecurity and the fear of being forgotten, or discarded. Eddie’s was more concrete. He couldn’t expose precious, fragile Richie to his mom. Richie’s tough front didn’t fool Eddie. He knew that prolonged exposure to his mom would do some kind of harm to Rich. He couldn’t live with that, he loved him too much. Eddie who had been raised with it was mentally much tougher than people gave him credit for. Sonia’s programming simply had stopped working three years back. That is the only thing Eddie could thank that god damned clown for. He was able to shake off his mom’s programming and finally begin to be himself. The Losers, Richie especially, were to thank for that as well. He couldn’t have shaken it off without their constant unconditional support and love.

There was a sudden flash, followed almost immediately by a huge crack of thunder and then the skies opened up and the rain poured down. Normally in this shitty town rain seems to signal bad times. Georgie was taken in the rain and his disappearance kicked off the whole mess with that fucking clown. Well not this fucking time.  
Richie had enough, “I refuse to let that clown, it’s stupid magic, and the fucking weather bring me down today. Do you hear me? I refuse to dance to your string pulling. Fuck you!” Richie said shaking his fist at the cloud filled sky, like a stark raving mad lunatic. “Eds I’m going outside.”

“Rich are you fucking insane? That lightning was right outside. Stop.” Eddie plead as Richie just marched out the door and headed downstairs. 

“I’m tired Spagheds. I’m tired of hiding, being afraid, secrets and most of all I’m tired of being alone” Richie shouted as he opened the back door. 

“You aren’t alone you fuckwad. I’m here. I’ve always been here.” Eddie shouted at him getting angry.

Richie didn’t really hear Eddie. He was too lost in his head. “Bev has Ben, Bill has Audra. FUCK even Stanislaus has Mikey.” Richie said out loud. Now he stopped and turned to the back of Eddie’s house to see Eddie standing on the porch looking at him standing in the rain. “What did you say?”

“I said you aren’t alone, I’m here. I’ve always been here.” Eddie said around a lump in his throat. 

“You have always been there for me haven’t you?” Richie said slowly getting soaked standing in the rain. “Eds what are you saying? I don’t want to fuck up what we have.” He admitted. 

Smiling at Richie Eddie says, “You idiot. It won’t fuck it up, I hope if we work at it, it will change it. Hopefully for the better. But I can’t ask you to date me because I worry what my mom will do to you. I can’t have her crush your spirit. I won’t be responsible for that.” 

Richie still standing in the rain, “Eds did you just NOT ask me out?”

Eddie, “Yeah I guess I did.” A slow smile forms on his face. “So what’s your answer? You wet dog?”

“Come out here and I’ll tell you.” Richie reaches out with his hand inviting Eddie to take a hold of it. He wonders where this sudden confidence is coming from. 

Eddie takes his socks off, places them on the chair on the porch and takes a step off into the rain. He walks over to Richie and takes his hand. Richie pulls him in close and hugs him tight. “Eddie it would be my greatest honor to be your boyfriend. Don’t worry about me and Mrs. K, with you as my boyfriend I’m sure your will protect me from her worst.”

Eddie himself is now getting soaked from the rain, he says, “Richie I will protect you from her. I will always be there to tell you that you are valued, and needed... by me. So you will be my boyfriend?”

“I just said it Eddie Spaghetti. I’d love to be your boyfriend.” Richie beams.

Richie switches from a hug and takes Eddies face into both his hands. “Can I kiss you?”

Eddie, “Yes you may.” 

They kiss gently at first, but that slowly turns more passionate. The rain increases a bit and there is another flash and boom this time from further away. Both boys jump and run for the porch. They turn and look at the rain falling in the backyard. Richie is standing behind Eddie and is hugging him from behind resting his head on Eddie shoulder. “Thanks Eds.” Richie says.

“Thanks Rich.” Eddie responds taking hold of his boyfriends arms that are wrapped around him.

“Yah now Spagheds. I think I could get to like the rain.” Richie tells his boyfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally an @fyereddie prompt that sat in my Docs waiting to be completed. Poor sad little one shot.


End file.
